The federally threatened Bay checkerspot butterfly was extirpated from San Bruno Mountain in the mid 1980s. On March 2 and 3 2017, Creekside Science biologists collected 3630 caterpillars from Coyote Ridge in San Jose and released them on the main ridge of San Bruno Mountain. The larvae immediately started munching English plantain, a non-native used by other closely related checkerspot populations. The cool coastal environment, robust perennial hostplant, and extensive habitat are encouraging aspects of this project. This project may show that we can reintroduce extirpated species without the technical challenges and expense of restoring all historical conditions.

Find the very hungry caterpillar!

Many thanks to the Disney Butterfly Conservation Initiative, US Fish and Wildlife Service, San Mateo County Parks and Recreation, and SF Bay Wildlife Society for financial and professional support.

Reintroduction high above San Francisco International Airport. Bay checkerspot flight #1 will depart in late March!

Here’s a brief video from our Bay Checkerspot relocation efforts from 2013. Here’s your best chance to see these mini-cats dancing! Our translocation efforts to Edgewood Natural Preserve and Tulare Hill resulted in moving almost 5,000 larvae to each site.